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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

We decided we would do a giveaway for Valentine's Day! It's really simple to enter. Just send an email to allyson.christine.g@gmail.com, stating which book you are interested in and you will be entered! You can enter for just one book, or all of them. Winners will be announced on February 14th on here and by email.

Life loves a good curveball…

Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…

Steffi doesn't talk, but she has so much to say.

Rhys can't hear, but he can listen.

Their love isn't a lightning strike, it's the rumbling roll of thunder.

Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it.

In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

We also added to the giveaway this cute plush and nice coffee mug.Unfortunately because of shipping costs only residents of the U.S.A can enter for the plush and mug.

This week's topic had to do with comics and graphic novels. Since neither of us really reads those, we changed it up a bit this week.

Introducing Cecilia's first list for JUBB! Cecilia is Mariela's daughter, and since Mariela doesn't read comics, we decided to ask her for her favorite books that she wishes everyone would read.

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

The Center for Cartoon Studies presents a wholly original take on the story of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller in the fifth book of the award-winning series of graphic novel biographies.

Steve just wants to save his baby brother—but what will he lose in the bargain? This is a haunting gothic tale for fans of Coraline, from acclaimed author Kenneth Oppel (Silverwing, The Boundless) with illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen.

For some kids summer is a sun-soaked season of fun. But for Steve, it’s just another season of worries. Worries about his sick newborn baby brother who is fighting to survive, worries about his parents who are struggling to cope, even worries about the wasp’s nest looming ominously from the eaves. So when a mysterious wasp queen invades his dreams, offering to “fix” the baby, Steve thinks his prayers have been answered.

All he has to do is say “Yes.” But “yes” is a powerful word. It is also a dangerous one. And once it is uttered, can it be taken back?

Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot---and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

All those who enjoyed shuddering their way through Alvin Schwartz's first volume of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark will find a satisfyingly spooky sequel in this new collection of the macabre, the funny, and the fantastic.Is it possible to die -- and not know it? What if a person is buried too soon? What happens to a thief foolish enough to rob a corpse, or to a murderer whose victim returns from the grave? Read about these terrifying predicaments as well as what happens when practical jokes produce gruesome consequences and initiations go awry.Stephen Gammell's splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories -- and even a scary song -- all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark.If You Dare!

I am so far removed from the comic book world, it's not even funny. Well over a decade ago, I used to be super obsessed with manga, which is basically just a graphic novel. I haven't read one in a billion years, but I figured I would share the ones that I loved enough to keep over the years.

I'd say that Cardcaptor Sakura was my introduction into the world of manga. Sailor Moon (and Holly) introduced to me to anime way back when, but it wasn't until I found this copy of CCS at the old Walden Books in the mall that I really fell in love with manga. Of course, this was way before manga and graphic novels and comics were so easy to find. I can still remember my mom taking me to used bookstores to try and fuel my habit and all of the sales people looking at me like I was insane when I asked them if they carried manga. Now, Half Price Books has entire shelves devoted to mange for a $1! Oh, to be a teen again now :p

Cardcaptor Sakura stars Sakura, a young girl who discovers she is supposed to be the master of the Clow. Clow cards are these little cards that hold...monsters? Creatures? I'm not sure how to explain it. But they hold these little creatures that have powers, and she has to trap them back in the cards in order to keep them from wreaking havoc all over the world. It's seriously cute!

This manga is by the same authors as CCS and stars the same two lead characters, Sakura and Syaoran. Except, older and edgier and from a different world. This was perfect for me at the time, because I was getting older myself and loved the more romantic storyline from an older Lee and Sakura. What's also cool about this anime, is that is mashes up a lot of characters and worlds from all of the CLAMP manga. So there are tons of easter eggs and fun surprises for people who love CLAMP. Now I want to go home and watch the anime!

Surprise, surprise! Another CLAMP manga on here. I swear, it wasn't intentional. I just really love CLAMP! This one I actually stole from Holly a billion years ago. This one is very typical video game style. (It also has a video game made after it that was actually seriously good.) It's three high school girls who get transported into an alternate realm and can't get back to modern day Tokyo until they rescue the princess. It's funny and badass and just all in all a good time!

This one might be a little embarrassing, given how much I loved it. I would beg. wheedle, bribe, and all out annoy my mother til she would take me to Walden Books (a good 30 minute drive from home) to go get the new issue of this every month the day that they came out! It was so cute and fun. This one involves a bunch of school girls who have their DNA fused with the DNA of endangered species. This allows them to transform into "Mew Mews" and help save the world from evil villains. Think Sailor Moon, but with animal identities. The only problem with this manga is that Ichigo totally chose the wrong dude.

I actually own a couple of manga that are based off of video games. In fact, I got every Zelda manga for Christmas this year! It almost made the list, but really, who doesn't know about Zelda? So I decided to go with Suikoden III. Because, seriously. This game is freaking amazing. The manga is really good too, but I can't say enough good things about the Suikoden series as a whole. Suikoden III is different than the first two incarnations in that it actually has three different main characters: Hugo, Chris and Geddoe. At first, you get to play all three characters equally up to chapter 3. But then, you have to choose which one is the Flame Bringer and finish the game with just that character. It's really just a fun game and makes for a good manga adaptation.

So
begins Reema Ben Ghazi’s tale set in Morocco, SHE'S LIKE A RAINBOW.
Reema awakes one morning to find her skin has changed from whipped cream
to dark chocolate. From then on, every few years she undergoes another
metamorphosis, her color changing successively to red, yellow and
ultimately brown. What is the cause of this strange condition and is
there a cure? Does the legend of the White Buffalo have anything to do
with it? As Reema struggles to find answers to these questions, she
confronts the reactions of the people around her, including her strict
and unsympathetic mother, Lalla Jamila; her timid younger sister, Zakia;
and her two best friends, Batoul and Khalil. At the same time, she must
deal with the trials of adolescence even as her friendship with Khalil
turns to first love. One day, in her search for answers, Reema discovers
a shocking secret – she may have been adopted at birth. As a result,
Reema embarks on a quest to find her birth mother that takes her from
twentieth-century Rabat to post-9/11 New York.

Reema’s
humanity shines through her story, reminding us of all we have in
common regardless of our particular cultural heritage. SHE'S LIKE A
RAINBOW, which will appeal to Teens as well as Adults, raises intriguing
questions about identity and ethnicity.

About the Author

Colucci holds a BA in French and English from the University at Albany and an MA in Education from Framingham State University.

When not
writing, Colucci enjoys practicing yoga, taking long walks and playing
with her chocolate Labrador Retriever, Phoebo. Now that she and her
husband have four grandchildren, they spend as much time as possible in
Virginia with their two sons and their families.

Author Links:

Excerpt

From Chapter 4 - Patience

We were not very strict Muslims. We did not pray five times
a day, nor did we go to Mosque every Friday (though we did attend on all the Aids
or Holy Days, to celebrate the Sacrifice of Abraham, the end of Ramadan,
and such). Zakia and I emulated Mother and did not cover our heads. As she got
older, Mother took to praying and began to wear a head scarf whenever she went
out, removing it at home, leaving it on in her shop. She did not insist that we
begin wearing one however. Since Zakia and I went to the French Mission
schools, we did not receive religious instruction as part of the regular
curriculum like our cousins who went to Moroccan schools did. To fill this gap,
Mother hired a tutor who came once a week to teach us the Koran and to
supplement the mediocre Arabic lessons provided at school.

Mother had
several copies of the Koran. There was one, wrapped in gift paper that she kept
in her room. I had come upon the sealed package one day when I was about seven
and, not knowing what was inside, I had torn the golden wrapping to have a
peek. Afterward, when I’d asked Mother why she kept an old Koran that was
falling apart, she had scolded me severely and boxed my ears. She told me that
Father had brought the holy book back from the Haj and had carefully wrapped it
in order to preserve it.

Needless to
say, we did not use this book for our lessons. Instead, Haj Brahim (he was
addressed as “Haj” because he, like Father, had made the pilgrimage to Mecca)
would take down the large, heavy Koran from the top shelf in the book case and
try to help us understand the verses. When this failed, he would settle for
having us memorize them.

Not content
to just recite the words without understanding their meaning, I had convinced
Mother to buy a version that had the Arabic on the left side with the French
translation on the right. This was the book that I used for my private prayers
and to search for an explanation for my multiple transformations.

I was not
having much success however and decided I must talk to Haj Brahim about it. I
didn’t want to ask him in front of Zakia, so I would have to choose my moment
carefully.

One
afternoon, Haj Brahim showed up a little early for our lesson. Mother showed
him into the sitting room and asked Naima to make some tea. Zakia was having a
shower because she had participated in a race at school that day (that she’d
lost, of course). Seizing the opportunity, I slipped into the room and gently
closed the door.

Haj Brahim
was a portly man, in his sixties and decidedly bald. He was an old acquaintance
of Father’s who had helped Mother settle the inheritance after Father died.
Mother was in a predicament as a widow with only daughters. In the absence of a
male heir, Father’s three brothers had tried to wrest as much as they could,
but Haj, who was an expert in Islamic law and connected to one of the Mosques
in Rabat, had made sure that Mother’s rights, however limited, were protected.
(Those rights would have been even more limited had Father not already taken several
precautions while still alive, such as putting many of the deeds and wealth in
Mother’s name.)

I cleared my throat and Haj, who sat leaning
back on the sofa with his hands folded in his lap, looked over at me and
smiled. As always, he wore a little white skull cap that he only removed now. I
began hesitatingly to describe my problem. Haj must have been aware of my
transformations as he’d been giving us lessons since I was nine and still
“Reema, The Palest One of All.” He had never mentioned anything about my
“condition” though. He listened carefully as I timidly described my tormenters
at school, mother’s failure to sympathize, and my personal doubts as to God’s
role in all this. I stopped abruptly when Naima brought the tea and placed the
tray in front of me.

Using the
knitted mitt, I grasped the silver teapot and poured some tea into one of the
crystal glasses. Then, I poured the tea back in the pot and served us both. I
glanced at the clock. Zakia would be coming in any minute and my chance would
be lost. Haj nodded subtly, as if he understood my urgency, and went to get the
Koran from the shelf. He put on his reading glasses, then took them off and
wiped them with the cloth napkin that Naima had given him.

He paused
before putting them on again and recited to me, “’Endure with patience, for
your endurance is not without the help of God.’ God presents us all with
different challenges, Reema. You must have patience and His wisdom will be
revealed to you. All in good time.”

“But, why
Haj? Why is God doing this? Making my skin change color all the time like I’m
some kind of freak. What have I done wrong?”

Without
answering, he opened the book to the very end and read me a verse:

As time
passes,

Everyone
suffers loss

Except
those who believe

and do
good deeds and urge one another to be true

and to
bear with courage the trials that befall them.

I could
hear Zakia coming down the stairs. I quickly noted the page so that I could go
back to it later.

Haj closed
the book and said softly to me, “You are young, Reema. What seems like a great
‘trial’ today may not seem so terrible later on. You are a good girl. Just be
brave – and patient.”

He patted
me lightly on my hand. Somehow, it did not feel patronizing or dismissive. The
butterfly touch of his fingers gave me hope.